Balinese Kris on E-bay

ariel · 10th January 2005, 11:50 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3774040296

Any comments?
Should I be depressed because of missing it?

nechesh · 11th January 2005, 12:23 AM

Hey Ariel, weren't you just lamenting in another thread about all us keris maniacs? If you're not careful you may just become one of us!

Did you miss something? The photos suck, of course, but this appears to be a fairly nice blade. It needs a good cleaning and restaining, but it has some nicely defined ricikan and a beautiful undulating gonjo (i've been wanting a keris with one of these for some time). I'd say it is late 19thC. The sheath looks like a nicely carved jamprahan form sarong. The hilt is a fairly low rent version of the rice diety form, poorly carved, nothing to write home about, and the mendak in recent cheap costume junk, but these parts are fairly easy to upgrade. I'd say it went for a reasonable price and if i had known about it i may very well have been in on the bidding.

Rick · 11th January 2005, 01:53 AM

Gotta love those out of focus pictures .

The wrongko appears to have a signifigant chip although its form is quite nice .
I think the real prize here is the blade possibly , if the blade maintains its 'concave diamond' cross section almost to the tip I would deem it more desirable .

But I can't tell that from the pictures ..

A 'handyman special' keris .

ariel · 11th January 2005, 02:11 AM

Nechesh,
Anyone is entitled to a bit of bitching! This is my constitutional right and I shall bitch about it as much as I want!

Truly, I know nothing about Krises but this one had something attractive even to an ignoramus that I am: I liked the blade. It was so beautifully proportioned and the lines were so graceful that I just was wanted to keep it in my hands.
Do you think Kris spirits tried to tell me something?

capt.smash · 11th January 2005, 02:13 AM

Ive got 1 similar to this on its way to me [thankfuly i paid less than this went for

]ill post some decent pics when it arives.what do you think of it?

nechesh · 11th January 2005, 03:29 AM

I like your blade as well Capt., though the dress is even more unfortunate.

Would love to see better pics.

nechesh · 11th January 2005, 03:30 AM

Ariel, a constitutional biotch???

ariel · 11th January 2005, 04:45 AM

My First Amendment...

capt.smash · 12th January 2005, 02:16 PM

Here are some slightly better pics of the blade.I think it might actualy have alittle bit of age to it as there are a few nicks and rust pits to it.It needs treating to bring out the pamor alittle more i recon what do you think?The dress is even more poor than the original pictures sugested and it is a poor fit in the scabbard.Any comments on where u think the blade came from and what style of dress it should originaly have had?due to the similarity in handle etc ..mabe this was sold by the same outfit?

ronpakis · 12th January 2005, 07:59 PM

definitly a balinese blade. and a nice one

Battara · 12th January 2005, 09:26 PM

Yes, like the blade even though the dress and everything else is recent.

nechesh · 12th January 2005, 11:05 PM

Hey Capt. Yes, definitely Bali, definitely nice. I'd say late 19thC. Could be early 20th, but they are not turning out anything like this in Madura. This is NOT a modern made blade. The dress is standard for cheap balinese "tourist" keris. I don't usually use that term, but in this case i think it is justified. I refer to those cut out "keris" with the fake pamors. Somebody got this really nice blade either without dress or in damaged condition and decided to slam it into this tacky wear. A shame really, but you do have the blade and that's what really counts. You could have new dress comissioned, but it may cost you as much as you paid for the keris. Still, i'd say this blade is deserving. The hilt that you have now is a cheap version of a classic Bali form which i believe represents a rice diety. There are a number of Balinese forms of dress that would look just fine with this keris.

Battara · 13th January 2005, 12:52 AM

That's not unusual, though, is it Nechesh? I mean, there are a lot of old keris blades with new, even "tourist" dress on them. A common practice I think.

nechesh · 13th January 2005, 02:32 AM

Hi Jose. Yep, i'd say it's pretty common. I've seen a bunch like that on eBay. One of the advantages to the practice is that often you can nab a pretty nice blade for a fairly reasonable price because people don't look beyond the touristy dress.

Also sheathless ones like the one you made the hilt ring for can go really cheap. I'm having a sheath made for that right now. But i only paid $100 for a nice Bali keris with a fairly nice (nicer now

) hilt. I love a good fixer upper.

10th January 2005, 11:50 PM	#1
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Balinese Kris on E-bay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3774040296 Any comments? Should I be depressed because of missing it?

11th January 2005, 02:13 AM	#5
capt.smash Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Devon ,England Posts: 80	Ive got 1 similar to this on its way to me [thankfuly i paid less than this went for ]ill post some decent pics when it arives.what do you think of it? Attached Images

12th January 2005, 02:16 PM	#9
capt.smash Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Devon ,England Posts: 80	Here are some slightly better pics of the blade.I think it might actualy have alittle bit of age to it as there are a few nicks and rust pits to it.It needs treating to bring out the pamor alittle more i recon what do you think?The dress is even more poor than the original pictures sugested and it is a poor fit in the scabbard.Any comments on where u think the blade came from and what style of dress it should originaly have had?due to the similarity in handle etc ..mabe this was sold by the same outfit? Attached Images

11th January 2005, 12:23 AM	#2
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Hey Ariel, weren't you just lamenting in another thread about all us keris maniacs? If you're not careful you may just become one of us! Did you miss something? The photos suck, of course, but this appears to be a fairly nice blade. It needs a good cleaning and restaining, but it has some nicely defined ricikan and a beautiful undulating gonjo (i've been wanting a keris with one of these for some time). I'd say it is late 19thC. The sheath looks like a nicely carved jamprahan form sarong. The hilt is a fairly low rent version of the rice diety form, poorly carved, nothing to write home about, and the mendak in recent cheap costume junk, but these parts are fairly easy to upgrade. I'd say it went for a reasonable price and if i had known about it i may very well have been in on the bidding.

11th January 2005, 01:53 AM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,293	Gotta love those out of focus pictures . The wrongko appears to have a signifigant chip although its form is quite nice . I think the real prize here is the blade possibly , if the blade maintains its 'concave diamond' cross section almost to the tip I would deem it more desirable . But I can't tell that from the pictures .. A 'handyman special' keris .

11th January 2005, 02:11 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Nechesh, Anyone is entitled to a bit of bitching! This is my constitutional right and I shall bitch about it as much as I want! Truly, I know nothing about Krises but this one had something attractive even to an ignoramus that I am: I liked the blade. It was so beautifully proportioned and the lines were so graceful that I just was wanted to keep it in my hands. Do you think Kris spirits tried to tell me something?

11th January 2005, 03:29 AM	#6
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	I like your blade as well Capt., though the dress is even more unfortunate. Would love to see better pics.

11th January 2005, 03:30 AM	#7
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Ariel, a constitutional biotch???

11th January 2005, 04:45 AM	#8
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	My First Amendment...

12th January 2005, 07:59 PM	#10
ronpakis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: netherlands Posts: 75	definitly a balinese blade. and a nice one

12th January 2005, 09:26 PM	#11
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Yes, like the blade even though the dress and everything else is recent.

12th January 2005, 11:05 PM	#12
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Hey Capt. Yes, definitely Bali, definitely nice. I'd say late 19thC. Could be early 20th, but they are not turning out anything like this in Madura. This is NOT a modern made blade. The dress is standard for cheap balinese "tourist" keris. I don't usually use that term, but in this case i think it is justified. I refer to those cut out "keris" with the fake pamors. Somebody got this really nice blade either without dress or in damaged condition and decided to slam it into this tacky wear. A shame really, but you do have the blade and that's what really counts. You could have new dress comissioned, but it may cost you as much as you paid for the keris. Still, i'd say this blade is deserving. The hilt that you have now is a cheap version of a classic Bali form which i believe represents a rice diety. There are a number of Balinese forms of dress that would look just fine with this keris.

13th January 2005, 12:52 AM	#13
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	That's not unusual, though, is it Nechesh? I mean, there are a lot of old keris blades with new, even "tourist" dress on them. A common practice I think.

13th January 2005, 02:32 AM	#14
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	Hi Jose. Yep, i'd say it's pretty common. I've seen a bunch like that on eBay. One of the advantages to the practice is that often you can nab a pretty nice blade for a fairly reasonable price because people don't look beyond the touristy dress. Also sheathless ones like the one you made the hilt ring for can go really cheap. I'm having a sheath made for that right now. But i only paid $100 for a nice Bali keris with a fairly nice (nicer now ) hilt. I love a good fixer upper.